Double-piped garment opening



Nov. 6, 1945. F. ALTOBELLI 2,388,516

DOUBLE PIPED GARMENT OPENING Filed Oct. 4, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR. fillqenzl'o A [lobe/[1' ATTORNEY Nov. 6, 1945. F. ALTOBELLI 7 2,388,516

DOUBLE PIPED GARMENT OPENING Filed 001?. 4, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N V EN TOR. Eu/qenz/o Altoe/lz' A rroku'ev Patented Nov. 6, 1945 DOUBLE-PIPED GARMENT OPENING Fulgenzio Altobelli, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor of two-fifths to Theodore E. Simonton, Syracuse,

Application October 4, 1944, Serial No. 557,186

8 Claims.

This invention relates to themanufacture of double piped garment openings, and relates more particularly to the manufacture of double piped pockets. for the coats and vests of mens suits, although the invention may be used for making pockets for ladies clothing and alsofor making double piped .buttonholes. I

Although usable for occasional pocket or buttonhole manufacture, the present invention lends itself particularly to mass production tailoring methods, and will be described in connection therewith. Among its advantages are economy of material and labor, and a sequence of operations which enables the production of doubled piped garment openings of extreme accuracy and uni-,

formity, even with the employment of relatively unskilled labor for most of the operations. Heretofore, doubled piped pockets, have not been largely used in mens clothing except of the custom grade, because the difficulties inherent in the ordinary methods of manufacture of such pockets call for the highest grade of tailoring skill in order to Produce a good-looking pocket. With the present invention, on the other hand, only ordinary skill is required to produce a pocket of the highest quality with smooth and uniform pipings, and the cost is comparable to that of making an ordinary pocket. In fact..t.he present method represents such an advance in pocket making for mens clothing that it will frequently be foundadvantageous to make flap pockets by the method of the present invention. Moreover, the present invention affords a particularly strong and accurate corner construction for the double piped opening and an especially convenient way of smoothly reinforcing the pipings.

Other objects andadvantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in w ich Figure .1 is a p rsp ive v w of a par ially sewn binder tape for use in making double piping in accordance withrmy invention;

Figure 2 is a p rspective view showing the binder tape sewn to the. front of the garment and cut in half longitudinally along the line of the ultimate pocket opening;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the back of the garment at the same stage of operations as Figure 2;

Fi ure 4 is a perspective view showing the back of the garment after turning the binder tape through the pocket ope i d sewing the ends of thebinder tape to the miter tongues of the tion to be sewn to the upper half of the binder tape inside the garment, the garment material being omitted for clarity of illustration;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the completed pocket from the inside of the garment, the garment material again being omitted for clarity; and

Figure 9 is a plan view of the front of the garment showing the completed pocket.

For convenience of description, we will assume that a pocket is to be made according to my invention in a mans coat. The cutter cuts from the material of which the coat is to be made a single binder strip 20 foreach pocket which is to be double piped, and also cuts from a suitable reinforcing material a single stay strip 2| for each such pocket. The binder strip 20 may conveniently be 1%" wide and the stay strip 2| 1 /4" wide, and both of the same length corresponding to, but somewhat greater than, the width of the pocket. For the side pocket of a mans coat, this length may be 8". This binder strip 20 is all of the coat material that need be used in making the pocket, and it will be noted by those skilled in the art that this represents a considerable Saving of such material.

From the cutter, the binder strip 20 and the stay strip 2| go to a conventional folding machine, where they are folded nd sewn into a binder tape with-the right side of the garment material outside and the stay strip inside, by two rows of stitching 22 and 23, as shown at the left of Figure 1 which rows of stitching pass completely through the tape. The reference numeral 24 isapplied to the binder tape as a whole, which tape 24 is shown only partially sewn in Figure 1 as it would be after passing approximately halfway through the folding machine. It will be understood that, in practice, the binder tape 24 would be sewn along its entire length in a single operation. It will be observed that the binder tape has two smooth longitudinal edges 25 and 26, a smooth bottom surface '21 and a broken top surface 28 which includes the meeting edges of the binder strip 20. As is well-known, a conventional folding machine is capable of folding and sewing with great accuracy with relatively unskilled help, with the result that the two rolled edges and 26 are very smooth, straight and parallel.

The folding machine'may be set to form a tape wide and the tworows of stitching 22- and turn with and smoothly conform to the contours of the rolled edges 25 and 26. The result is that the rolled edges 25 and 26 are formed with great smoothness and accuracy, each containing reinforcing material tacked along only one side. The rolled edges 25 and 26 ultimately form the two pipings, and thus a proper foundation is laid for smooth and accurate finished pipings.

The binder tape 24 and the partially sewn coat now go to a pocket maker, who sews the binder tape 24 on the front of the coat at the desired location for the pocket by two rows of stitching 29 and 39. The binder tape is placed on the coat material with its smooth bottom surface 21 in contact with the right side of the coat material. If the material is striped or otherwise marked, the pocket maker can easily line up the pattern of the tape with that of the coat material. pocket maker may sew first one of the two rows of stitching 29 and and then the other, using a three-sixteenths inch foot on his sewing machine, that is to say, a foot so constructed as to form a row of stitching located three-sixteenths of an inch from the edge of the foot, which serves as a gauge. Each row 29 or 30 is sewn keeping the corresponding rolled edge 25 or 26 of the tape directly under the gauging edge of the foot. This shown in Figure 2, the rows of stitching 29 and 39 do not extend the full length of the binder tape, but are, instead, made the desired length for the finished pocket. It is immaterial whether the rows 29 and 30 engage one or two layers of the reinforcing strip 2|, since, at this stage, the reinforcing material is properly placed within the rolled edges 25 and 26.

The

the ends of the slit 3 I, through the coat material only, to form the tongues 32 and 33 from the coat material. The pocket maker is usually a skilled and highly paid worker, and these operations may complete his work on the pocket, the garment then going to other operators.

The next operator turns the severed binder tape through the pocket slit 3 I, so that the binder tape is now on the wrong side of the coat material. This brings the two rolled edges or pipings 25 and 26 adjacent to and facing one another, leaving the cut or raw edges 34 and 35 of the binder tape halves at the outside, as shown in Figure 4. The operator then sews one of the tongues 32 or 3 3 to the adjacent ends of the binder tape halves,-at the same time joining these ends together, by stitching 36. The other tongue is then'sewn similarly to the other ends of the binder .tape halves. The stitches 36 do not pass through the body of the coat material but only through the tongue and the binder tape, and being sewn while the end of the binder tape is separated from the coat material, the tongue may be clearly seen, so that the stitches 36 may be placed cleanly through the base of the tongue and may criss-cross the tongue, to form an especially strong corner for the pocket. This is an outstanding advantage of the present invention, as, in the former commercial way of manufacturing double piped pockets, it was necessary to stitch the tongue while it was partially or wholly concealed by a corresponding tongue of reinforcing material. Frequently, therefore, the garment material tongue was not properly sewn into the pocket corner, with the result that a weak and unsatisfactory pocket was obtained. In Figure 4, one end of the binder tape is shown lifted in order to expose the manner in which the tongue 33 is secured to the binder tape by the stitching 36.

' Figure 5 is a view of the right side of the coat after the operations described above have been performed. None of the stitching described above is visible, but the rolled edges 25 and 26 of the binder tape are visible and meet in a smooth line forming between them the finished pocket opening 31. I

In making a pocket, it is now necessary to apply the lining and the'facing stripwhieh conceals the lining when the pocket, is slightly opened. For a buttonhole, however; the operations would be complete at this stage, it being necessary only to press and, if desired, to apply a suitablelining to cover the sewing and the cut edges ,34 and 35 of the material at the inside of Still working from the front of the coat, the

pocket maker, using a pair of shears, cuts completely through the binder tape and the coat material centrally of the rows of stitching 22 and 23, for a length somewhat less than the length of the stitching rows 29 and 30 which define the 1 but without cutting the coat material. The pocket maker then turns the garment over, and miters the buttonhole. V

Proceeding with the pocket manufacture, an operator takes a strip of lining material 40 of standard size and sews to one .end of it a strip of facing material by means of a single row of stitching 42. The facing strip 4| usually matches the coat material in color but is notidentical thereto, although 'it" may be made of the coat material if desired. The free end 43 of the lining material is then sewn to the lower half of the binder tape adjacent-itsraw edge'35 and outside of the row of stitching 30 by a single row of stitching 44. 'The liningis then doubled backon itself "as shown at 45 and 46 in Figure Lin such position that the free end 48 of the facing material 4| overlies the upper half of the binder tape.

The facing 4| is then secured to that upper half adjacent its raw edge 34 and outside of the row of stitching 29 by a row of stitching 49 as shown in'Figure 8; The outline of the pocket isthen formed by a U-sha-ped row of" stitching 50.

At this'stage, the pocket is ready for final pressing. Before pressing, itis convenient, although not essential, to join the rolled edges orpipings and 26 together by a lighttacking thread of zigzag configuration, which is not shown in the drawings. Such a tacking thread may be left in the garment until final sale, in order to preserve its press and appearance. Figure 9 shows a front view of the garment with the'ulti-mate pocket and, once again, it will be noted that no stitching whatever is visible. Because of this feature, it is possible to make the entire pocket using whatever thread happens to be available, without the necessity of matching the color of "the thread to the color ofthe garmentas is necessary in the conventionalmethod of making double piped pockets.

As pointed out above, it is likewise possible to make flap pockets by the method of this invention. In such case, the flapwould "be made as a separate part in the conventional manner, and may be sewnto the upper piping25 adjacent its raw edge 34 and outside of the row of stitching 29 before the pocket facing '4! issewn thereto. The flap may then be drawn through the pocket opening 31, or, if the wearer prefers-a double piped pocket, the coatmay beworn with the flap inside the pocket, so that the appearance is that of the double piped pocket described above. In this ,position, the flap merely covers and per forms the same functionas the facingstripd I.

Although I have thus, in accordance with the patent statutes, described my invention in detail and in the best mode to practice it of which I am aware, it will be evident that changes or modifications could be made by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention. I desire to belimited, therefore, only by the prior art and the scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. The'method or making a double piped garment opening, which comprises folding and securing a strip of piping material substantially longer than the desired garment opening to form a fiat, tubular tape having two smooth longitudinal edges, sewing said tape to the garment over the desired location for said garment opening by two rows of stitching spaced substantially equidistant from said two smooth tape edges and extending substantially the length of the desired opening, slitting said tape and garment substantially midway between said two rows of stitching for substantially the length of said rows of stitching and slitting said tape for its entire length, turning said tape through said garment slit so as to position said two smooth edges adjacent one another, and sewing the severed halves of the tape at each end thereof together by stitching adjacent to and extending transversely of the corresponding end of said garment slit.

2. The method of making a double piped garment opening, which comprises folding and securing a strip of piping material and a strip of reinforcing material both substantially longer than the desired garment opening to form a flat, tubular tape having two smooth longitudinal edges,

from said two smooth tape edges and extending substantially the length of the desired opening, slitting said tape and garment substantially midway between said two rows of stitching for substantially the length of said rowsof stitchingand slitting said tape for its entire length, turning said tape through said garment slit so as to position said two smooth edges adjacent one another, and sewing the severed halves of the tape at each end thereof togetherby stitching ad jacent to and extending transversely of the corresponding end of said garment slit. 1

3. The method of making a double piped garment opening, which comprises superimposing a strip of reinforcing material on the wrong side of a strip of piping material, said reinforcing strip being substantially narrower than said piping strip and both of said strips beingsubstantiall-y longer than the desired garment opening, folding said strips with the reinforcing strip inside into a fiat, tubular tape having two smooth longitudinal edges, securing said strips in said tape form by stitching located substantially centrally of said tape and passing through two layers of said piping material but only one layer of said reinforcing material, whereby the reinforcing material is free along each edge to enable it to conform to the shape of the tape edges, sewing said tape to the garment over the desired location for said garment opening by two rows of stitching spaced substantially equidistant from said two-smooth tape edges and extending substantially the length of the desired opening, slitting said tape and garment substantially midway between said two rows of stitching for substantially the length of said rows of stitching and slitting said tape for its entire length, and turning said tape through said garment slit so as to position said two smooth edges adjacent one another.

4. The method of making a double piped garment opening, which comprises folding and securing a strip of" piping material substantially longer than the desired garment opening to form a flat, tubular tape having two smooth longitudinal edges, sewing said tape to the. garment over the desired location for said garment opening'by two rows of stitching spaced substantially equidistant from said two smooth tape edges and extending substantially the length of the desired opening, slitting said tape and garment substantially midway between said two rows of stitching for substantially the length of said rows of stitching and slitting said tape for its entire length, mitering the ends of said slit through the garment material only to form tongues of the garment material, turning said tape through said garment slit so as to position said two smooth edges adjacent one another, and sewing the severed halves of the tape at each end thereof together and to the adjacent tongue by stitching adjacent to and extending transversely of the corresponding end of said garment slit.

5. The method of making a double piped garment opening, which comprises folding and securing a strip of piping material and a strip of reinforcing material both substantially longer than the desired garment opening to form a flat, tubular tape having two smooth longitudinal edges, said reinforcing material being located within the tape and having its longitudinal edges folded to conform to the longitudinal edges of the tape, sewing said tape to the garment over the desired location for said garment opening by two rows of stitching spaced substantially equidistant from said two smooth tape edges and extending substantlally the length of the desired opening, slitting said tape and garment substantially midway between said two rows of stitching for substantially the length of said rows of stitching and slitting said tape for its entire length, mitering the ends of said slit through the garment material only to form tongues of the garment material, turning said tape through said garment slit so' as to position said two smooth edges adjacent one another, and sewing the severed halves of the tape at each end thereof together and to the adjacent tongue by stitching adjacent to and extending transversely of the corresponding end of said garment slit. a

6. The method of making a double piped pocket, which comprises folding and securing a strip of piping material substantially longer'than the desired pocket opening to form a flat, tubular tape having two smooth longitudinal edges, sewing said tape to the garment over the desired location for said pocket opening by two rows of stitching spaced substantially equidistant from said'two smooth tape edges and extending substantially the length of the desired opening, slitting said tape and garment substantially midway between said two rows of stitching for substantially the length of said rows of stitching and slitting. said tape for its entire length, mitering the ends of said slit through the garment material only to form tongues of the garment material, turning said tape through said garmentslit so as'to position said two smooth edges adjacent one another, sewing the severed halves of the tape at each end thereof together and to the adjacenttongue by stitching adjacent to and extending transversely ofthe corresponding end of saidgarment slit, and sewing the front upper edge of a pocket to the lower half of said tape and the rear upper edge of said pocket to the upper half of said tape at points outside of the said two rows of-stitching. 7. The method of making a double piped pocket, which comprises folding and securing a strip of piping material and a strip of reinforcing ma terial both substantially longer than the desired pocket opening to form a flat, tubular tape having two smooth longitudinal edges, said reinforcing material being located within the tape andhaving its longitudinal edges folded to conform to the longitudinal edges of the tape, sewing said tape to the garment over the desired location for said pocket opening by two rows of stitching spaced substantially equidistant from said two smooth tape edges and extending substantially the length of the desired opening, slitting said tape and garment substantially midway between said two rows of stitching for substantially the length of said rows of stitching and slitting said tape for its entire length, mitering' the ends of said slit through the garment material only to form tongues of the garment material, turning said tape through said garment slit so as to position said two smooth edges adjacent one another, sewing the severed halves of the tape at each end thereof together and to the adjacent tongue by stitching adjacent to and extending transversely of the corresponding end of said garment slit, and sewing the front upper edge of a pocket to the lower half of saidtape and the rear upper edge of said pocket to the upper half of said tap e at points outside of the said two rows of stitching.

8. A double piped garment opening, comprising in combination, a main garment material having a slit with inturned edges and mitered ends 'forming inturned tongues, and a piping substantially longer than said slit secured to each of said in turned edges by a row of stitching concealed from front view by said inturned edge, each of said pipings consisting of a U-shapedfolded'strip of piping material containing a. U-shaped folded strip of reinforcing material, the smooth folded edges of the pipings projecting so as to be visible from the front through said slit and define the garment opening therebetween, the raw edges of the pipings being concealed from front view by the garment material, said reinforcing material being secured within said piping material by stitching lying outside of said first-named rows of stitching joining the pipings to said inturned edges, and each of said tongues being secured to the adjacent ends of the pipings by stitching adjacent to and extending transversely of the corresponding end of said garment slit.

FULGENZIO ALTOBELLI. 

